UK intelligence names Russia's problem Putin unsuccessfully trying to solve
Photo: Residents of occupied Crimea refuse to give birth to children for Putin's army (Getty Images)
Vladimir Putin's attempts to solve the demographic problem are unlikely to succeed. Fines for childfree supporters won't help, according to the UK Ministry of Defense.
A Russian court in Sevastopol of illegally annexed Crimea has fined a local woman 50,000 rubles (approximately $500) for allegedly promoting childfree propaganda.
the Russian media outlet Novaya Gazeta Evropa notes that this is the first time such a fine has been imposed in Russia or on the territory of Ukraine illegally annexed by Russia.
Putin signed a law banning so-called propaganda that allegedly spreads the childfree ideology in November 2024.
The legislation provides for fines of up to 400,000 rubles (approximately $4,000) for individuals and up to 5 million rubles (approximately $50,000) for organizations found guilty, further expanding the increasingly repressive powers of the Russian state.
According to UK intelligence, the law is almost certainly intended to partially address the serious demographic problem of Russia's aging and shrinking population. This has been further exacerbated by the emigration of an estimated 1.3 million Russians since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, including many young and well-educated, combined with significant Russian casualties.
"Demographic problems present a long-term structural challenge to Russian society and the Russian economy. The Russian leadership's attempts to increase birth rates are highly unlikely to arrest Russia's declining population in the short term," the British Ministry of Defense said.
According to NATO estimates, since February 2022, Russia has lost more than 700,000 soldiers killed and wounded in the war against Ukraine.
According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Russia has lost about 850,000 killed and wounded since its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. British intelligence predicts that Russia will continue to lose over a thousand people every day in February.
